The present invention relates to a cartridge type server unit comprising (a) a printed circuit board for a server unit, mounted with a CPU and memory which operate with external constant voltage, (b) a front panel which supports the printed circuit board for the server unit, and (c) connectors provided on the printed circuit board for the server unit, and eliminating the need of additional wiring. The invention also relates to a server unit cabinet which accommodates multiple pieces of said server unit therein.
With rapid development of the Internet, burdens on Internet servers have become so large that servers might hang up. To cope with an increased load on servers, one option is to increase the capacity of a server itself. However, such a capacity increase has a limit, and multiple server units are installed to disperse the increased load.
If multiple server units are grouped so as to function as a single server, each server unit is not required to be a high-performance workstation, but a so-called PC server can well do for the purpose. In this case, several hundred PC servers must be installed on one site. When a user accesses this site, he/she will be led to one of the installed PC servers. An increase in the load can be coped with by increasing PC servers.
To install several hundred server units, a considerably large space is required. If it is taken into account that a power source, a cooling method, and safety control be provided, the cost for the installation space will further increase. In addition, it is predicted that several server units will be added every month. The maintenance work including accurate wiring and replacement of server units which have failed will become a very serious problem.
Normally, on a site where a larger number of server units are installed, multiple server units are accommodated in a server unit rack which extends vertically, so that the space can be effectively utilized in that direction. For example, a server unit rack called a 19xe2x80x3 rack has a width of 19 inches (482.6 mm) and a height equivalent to 42 units (1871.1 mm: 1 U=44.45 mm). If typical tower type server units are used, a single rack allows only 4 to 6 units to be installed.
In order to solve this problem with the space for installing server units, a server unit with a thickness of 1 U has been developed. 42 units of said server have been stacked without clearance in a single rack. In this method, however, since a CPU and an HDD must be incorporated in a space of 1 U in thickness, it is difficult to handle heating from these components. As a result, the thickness of a server unit has been changed from 1 U back to 2 U, and clearance for ventilation has been provided for each server unit. Therefore, the number of server units which can practically be installed has decreased to approximately a half.
When a larger number of server units are to be accommodated in a server unit cabinet, it is necessary to supply each server unit with electric power and to connect wiring for signal input/output. These connections are made on the rear of the server unit cabinet. To ensure accuracy, therefore, great care must be taken and troublesome work is required.
The present invention aims to provide a server unit which is designed to allow a larger number of server units to be accommodated in a server unit cabinet and to be efficiently cooled therein.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a server unit cabinet which can be installed in a server unit rack and which allows multiple server units to be accommodated therein.
An even further object of the invention contemplates the provision of structures of the server unit and server unit cabinet which allow for easily and efficiently making a connection between the server unit and any external device and for quite easily making a connection for power supply.
In order to solve said problem, this invention comprises (a) a printed circuit board for a server unit, which is equipped with a central processing unit (CPU) and main memory and which serves as a computer with the supply of external electric power, (b) a heat sink supported by the printed circuit board for the server unit, and (c) a front panel which supports the printed circuit board for the server unit. The structure of said server unit is such that the front panel supports the printed circuit board for the server unit so as to vertically position a flat surface of the printed circuit board for the server unit when accommodating the server unit, that a part of the heat sink makes contact with highly heat-generating components mounted on the printed circuit board for the server unit via heat conduction means, and that heat conduction means are provided to transmit heat from said contacting part to another part of the heat sink.
According to the invention, the cartridge type server unit is such that a connector having a signal input/output terminal and a power inlet terminal is provided on one side opposite to the side supported by the front panel of the printed circuit board for the server unit.
According to the invention, the cartridge type server unit is such that an extension connector to which an extension board is connected is provided on one surface of the printed circuit board for the server unit.
According to the invention, the cartridge type server unit is such that a heat pipe is used to form the heat transmission means to be provided for the heat sink.
According to the invention, the cartridge type server unit is such that an input/output connector for maintenance use is provided on the front panel and that air vents for cooling are provided on the lower part of the front panel.
In order to further solve the problem, the invention provides a server unit cabinet for accommodating multiple pieces of said cartridge type server unit and at least one constant-voltage power source therein with a server unit space for accommodating multiple server units, a power source space for mounting at least one constant-voltage power source, a signal transmission means space for accommodating signal transmission means, and a cooling space for accommodating cooling means. The invention further provides the server unit cabinet with a server unit connector having a signal input/output terminal and a constant-voltage outlet terminal, and with a power connector having a signal input/output point, an external power inlet terminal, and a constant-voltage power inlet terminal. The invention even further provides the server unit cabinet with (a) a wiring circuit board which includes wiring between the constant-voltage inlet terminal of the power connector and the constant-voltage outlet terminal of the server unit connector, and wiring between the signal input/output terminal of the server unit connector and the signal input/output point, (b) an external signal input/output connector provided on the front of the server unit cabinet, and (c) signal transmission means which connects between said external signal input/output connector and the signal input/output point of said wiring circuit board.
According to the invention the server unit cabinet is such that the input/output point provided on the wiring circuit board is structured as a relay connector, and that the signal transmission means are a cable having a connector which is connected to said relay connector.
According to the invention, the server unit cabinet is such that the signal transmission means connecting between the input/output point provided on the wiring circuit board and the external signal input/output connector are wiring.
According to the invention, the server unit cabinet is such that cooling fans are used as the cooling means.
According to the invention, the server unit cabinet is such that means for guiding a server unit so that a connector provided on the server unit connects to the server unit connector on the wiring circuit board, are provided in the server unit space.
According to the invention, the server unit cabinet is such that means for guiding a constant-voltage power source so that a connector provided on the constant-voltage power source connects to the power connector on the wiring circuit board, are provided in the power source space.